Shimmering Wastes

Dominating the center of the continent is a barren wasteland where many fragments of Moonfall impacted. Much of the sand and rock is laced with the dust of inert Moonshards, reflecting and refracting light. Frequent winds create clouds of glittering dust that are both mesmerizing and disorienting. Plant life is largely thick, hearty shrubbery and lichen, with the rose-branched sage found in abundance. Few trees find the area hospitable; those that do are home to venomous lizards and stinging insects. In stark contrast to the harsh landscape is the Sta’ripple Oasis and its orchard of fruit trees. The shimmering waters here are known for their healing properties. It is around the Oasis where Freemarket has formed.

Freemarket, Center of Trade

Near the center of the Shimmering Wastes at the crossroads of the Sunsea Trail and the Moonway lies an oasis and the heart of the Moonshard trade: Freemarket. Originally a rest stop for travelers, merchants, and armies during the Age of Darkness, the Tent City is now home to tens of thousands on any given day. Though it has existed for generations, Freemarket still retains its transitory feel—all structures found here can be raised and lowered within a day. The thoroughfares aren’t so much streets as they are constantly shifting spaces between tents, coming and going organically as the temporary residents come and go. Even the more permanent residents move their homes from time to time, following opportunity as it arises.

Nowhere else in Anasta is the hand of the Guild felt more. From the exchange of trinkets and baubles to rare and powerful Moon Relics, every transaction in Freemarket needs to be sanctioned with a “Guild Membership”. Such “memberships” involve knowing the right name to drop at the right time, usually the most powerful figure in a given area. Of course, these memberships need to be verified and it is good practice to maintain working relationships with key Guild members if one does not want to be relieved of the burden of one’s belongings. While anyone can claim to be a Guild Baron (and there are many), only those with the power to fulfill their threats are recognized. There is rumored to be a secret “Guild Count” in Freemarket, though any who have openly proclaimed themselves as such have not lived long enough to assert any sort of real control over the Barons. The only King the Guild will ever recognize is the Moonshard.

The Wyrd Wind

Among the many dust storms of the Shimmering Wastes are some that are far more dangerous than others. The Wyrd Wind is a remnant of the Generations of Chaos that has persisted through the millennia. Nearly indistinguishable from a typical dust storm until it is upon you, the Wyrd Wind is a force of transmutation. Plant and mineral life may change forms, or join with one another. Animal forms coming into contact with the Wind (at the very least) suffer the effects of radiation, or may share the fate of the flora and stones.

While not nearly as strong as the similar Chaos Storm at sea, the Wyrd Wind may be more maddening to those that survive one. Where the Wyrd Wind passes, the landscape inevitably changes. Sometimes this change is subtle; other times it changes major landmarks or leaves odd phenomena not normally seen in the Wastes. If nothing else, coming near to the Wyrd Wind promises disorientation as the world itself changes and shifts in its wake. For still-unknown reasons, the Wyrd Wind has never come near to the Sta’ripple, another reason Freemarket is the true oasis of the Shimmering Wastes.